Reviews

The Longest Disappointment

So, because My Drama List is filled with people who say if you hate the drama you're ruining it for them, and upvote automatically any ratings that praise the drama highly, despite people telling you over and over it's bad and people hating the writing, I'm going to write this review for more balance. I love xianxia dramas. I've watched a ton of them, but this takes the cake on how terrible they can be. And yes, I watched all 40 episodes. Me and a bunch of other people who tried to defend it to the end, ended up flipping on the drama once they figured out what I said was consistent throughout the drama. But those people are less likely to write reviews.

The only saving grace of this drama is Xiao Zhan and maybe the production values, but that's about it. And pretty production values when you don't have the story isn't enough for me. I've never particularly cared about pretty faces. I care about in order: Story first, acting next, production values (which include costuming, CGI, props, etc) last. If I wanted to gawk at pretty faces, I'd look at runway photos. The problem with this drama is squarely on the story.

The writing sucks so, so much on one key issue: The female lead's agency is all over the place because the motivations aren't clear in the character.

Kinda passes the Bechdel test. Sexy Lamp it's questionable about her agency. And she kinda fails Mako Mori at turns--they give her a goal other than a man, but do they ever implement that goal within the story? No. Not once.

The thing is that there is this bit where she's supposed to protect this dress, and after the tenth episode watchers drop like flies because of this dress. She could have climbed out of the ravine the entire time--which is shown in a later episode. She fights with her best friend's sister over said dress saying her best friend's sister can't wear it, but then by episode ten you understand why people dropped the drama hard. After all that lecturing about how her best friend's sister shouldn't wear the dress, suddenly she decides to dance in it herself. Which is a mind-numbing plot point. It makes no sense whatsoever for her age.

There is a difference between innocent and air headed, and she's air headed. Innocent is going into danger to retrieve her friend's dress. Air headed is wearing the dress after yelling about how terrible it is to wear it. Air headed, to me, is being oblivious of how others will react to your actions even when you know it's wrong and taking the worst action anyway.

And then if you think this is the largest crime of the female lead, you're wrong. It gets worse as the drama goes on and the agency of the characters is all over the place.

Let me be clear here, I don't mind delayed agency, I don't really mind passive agency. I don't mind a long try fail cycle. What I really, really do mind, is when the principles of the character are laid out, the lesson is stacked in the "I really learned this lesson" pile and you've spent say 2-3 episodes establishing what this lesson is, the character demonstrates they have learned it, and then the rest of the story doesn't apply it when it's clearly critical to apply it right then. Why did we waste our time with those episodes then? The writer actually put into the drama several spelled out points where she couldn't figure out how to get to the next section, so literally had another character tell the female lead what she needed to do in order for the plot to change direction, rather than it coming from the character. And for those who've watched the drama--this is the female lead in a nutshell.

OK, you want to skip the female lead. Zhi Yuan isn't better. He had a straight line until the end of the drama. His agency looked consistent, and then he made a mind-numbing decision in the last part of the drama along with one of those accidental amnesia events the writer comes up with where the female lead suddenly forgets all her past knowledge, and then both characters make this really odd decision together. First he fails and it makes no sense to the point that people on the main comments objected strongly. And then she failed by not applying her past knowledge when she learned the spell she could have applied right then just the previous 3 episodes making you go, that makes no sense. If any agency or moving forward for the FL isn't about the male lead, then the female lead forgets everything with no reason for it.

And you think, at this point, "But the male lead can't be affected by this, right?" Hahahaha. So wrong. By the middle of the story, the writer, who is lost on how to make character motivations work, has other characters telling the male lead character what his motivations are. She's jerking around the male lead by having other characters tell the male lead where to go, but without building a reason why he needs to go there for himself. I'm going there because Sifu said I need to go there. I need to do this because someone else said I needed to. Do I have a pesonal motivation for it? Meh, nyahh, I'm changing my mind because someone else is telling me to.

This leads to a lot of empty moves and the character agency being scattered to the wind, as the characters forget everything they've learned from the few episodes before them. Because their motivations are all external and nothing internal. So there wer people who wanted to defend the book and the drama to the end--until they got there and then realized really sharply what I said about the dress chapter being signs that the drama is going sideways was true. One watcher who was of this sort got frustrated both with the drama and the book saying both were a waste of time.

The female lead character--all of the characters need to learn things and apply them at key times. They shouldn't be told what they want from other characters. It's poor writing. And since the writing was terrible, I can't recommend the drama. My relative's B movie had better throughline of character motivations than this. And it's not a slam against Chinese dramas, since I've watched plenty of older ones and also have read classics and folktales--I do recognize how this employed older drama conventions. It's telling you that the main female character lacks motivation and agency which then infects the rest of the show and this is why I don't recommend it.

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Cute... but toxic?

Honestly, I was happy when it was announced that we will have a second season of Utsukushii Kare as I really enjoyed the first season. I believe that it is one of the best japanese bl series that we have up until today.

CHARACTERS

In the series we follow the story of Kiyoi and Hira and their relationship. Hira (Hagiwara Riku) is now a senior university student and is still obsessed with Kiyoi, while Kiyoi (Yagi Yusei) is working hard with his acting career and is making small steps towards his goals. Both have the same master/slave relationship. Kiyoi is still shy towards Hira and his only way of coping with those feelings is to talk harshly to the other person (e.g. “You are gross”) or physically hurt him; while Hira is still following Kiyoi everywhere he goes and as the time goes by he is severely obsessed with the other person.

Kazuki (Takano Akira) is also a recurring character in this season who is doing his internship and is also the president at the photography club at the university. We can see that he and Hira have a friendly relationship and Kazuki even helps the other person with getting a part-time job. Even though it seems like Kazuki still has feelings for Hira, he doesn’t make any move on the other person; instead, he takes the role of the supporting friend. Moreover, we are introduced to a new character Anna (Nimura Sawa) who is a popular actress that works in the same company as Kiyoi. She and Kiyoi seem to be getting closer as they are experiencing similar love issues.

PLOT

The main plot of this series is the relationship between Kiyoi and Hira who are now living together. It is not stated in the series, but if we take into account that in the first season Hira was a second year (?) and now, he is a senior in university, they have been in a relationship for 2 or 3 years now. Kiyoi is working hard towards his ultimate goal on becoming an actor. On the other hand, Hira is still following Kiyoi whenever he goes and on his free time, he is watching the drama and special episodes that his boyfriend took part in. However, he is struck by reality when he sees that people around him are getting a job and they are working hard for their dreams.
Overthinking, overanalyzing, and not expressing themselves bring them in a tight spot. In the four episodes we see their attempts to adapt into the new environment and grow in their relationship.

MY OPINION

Honestly, this is a drama that is worth watching. It is a good continuation of the first season. However, if I must admit as I was watching the series, I was thinking that their relationship is toxic. Since they are together for some years now, I thought they would have already grown and become more confident in their relationship but in the drama, we see that Hira still considers himself lower than Kiyoi. I don’t know… I think that I am not fond with this approach.

I am not against when we see them act jealous and shy towards each other though. For example, in the first episode we see Kiyoi getting jealous when a girl hits on Hira. We have seen something similar on season 1 with Kazuki and Hira, but now Kiyoi stood his ground and showed to Hira his jealous side. I am onboard with this type of behavior. It’s cute. Kiyoi is self-aware that he likes Hira and is not afraid to act jealous in front of him.
My issue comes with Hira. I think that he hasn’t grown at all while they were together, and his life revolves only around Kiyoi. I do understand that Hira believes that there is a huge difference between them and that’s why he still addresses Kiyoi as a “King”, but shouldn’t he grow out of it?

Moreover, even though Hira tries to play the victim all the time by bringing this high wall between him and Kiyoi, I still feel that the one who has it worse is Kiyoi. Hira’s misunderstandings and misinterpretation of Kiyoi’s feelings and actions are very painful for Kiyoi. Even in season 1, even though he doesn’t say it verbally, I got the feeling that Kiyoi liked Hira more than Hira liked Kiyoi. Even though we are always seeing Hira going after Kiyoi, I still think that the one who feels more in this relationship is Kiyoi.

I don’t know how to explain it simpler or if you get what I mean. But, in episode 3 when the two people were talking about Hira’s parents, you could clearly see the fear, anxiousness, and nervousness of Kiyoi – but Hira, instead of making the other person in front of him feel more relaxed, said that Kiyoi will never meet his parents so there is no reason to worry about it. I just feel that Hira’s stupidness hurts Kiyoi a lot. He did the same thing in season 1. Instead of working together with Kiyoi, Hira still stays behind him and whenever Kiyoi wants to take a step forward Hira holds them back. When Kiyoi said “You prefer unrequired love, right? Then just stay there (…) I’m sorry that I like you”, I felt sad… Hira isn’t worthy of Kiyoi’s love.

But don’t get me wrong… It takes two to tango… Hira is not the only at fault! Kiyoi is at fault as well. The dynamics of this couple is not good. In one hand we have Hira who misunderstands everything and who believes that if he Kiyoi’s wishes would come true then the other person will never leave him. While, on the other hand we have Kiyoi who doesn’t speak his mind but at the same time is seeking his forever from Hira. How did they even manage to be together? Communication is key for every relationship and in this case, it doesn’t exist… However, we see Kiyoi making small steps and expressing his feelings to the other person, but Hira doesn’t receive the message and we have Kiyoi being sad and mad by himself…

Am I thinking too much regarding the relationship of two fictional characters? Yes, yes I am! What are your opinions? Is Hira’s behavior expected after all these years?

Anyway, this is a good drama to watch, SO WATCH IT! BYE!

P.S. In both seasons we have only seen a jealous Kiyoi. I would love to see a jealous Hira as well. But not from Hira the Fan, but rather from Hira the Boyfriend. I am assuming that as things are right now Hira will never get jealous of Kiyoi – not because he doesn’t like him, but because he would think that he is not a place to be jealous of Kiyoi. I hope that in the movie we will see an actively jealous Hira the Boyfriend and claim his boyfriend from the predators 😊

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Typical story yet well executed.

A group of good-looking boys struggling with their individual issues and a broke girl is forced to live with them under one roof. The entire story revolves around how the girl helps them deal with the problems while also falling in love with one of them who is the rudest of all. Yes, you have watched a lot of this sorts.

This will be a short one bcs this drama doesn't need a detailed review nor it's anything productive giving scopes to talk a lot about.

"Let Me Be Your Knight" is clearly a pre-2015 Kdrama romcom script; in fact a trend that existed till 2015, somewhat. There is no lying in this regard from either sides, i. e. the makers and the audience. So the question should be whether it's worth a watch in the year 2022?

So to summarize this particular story, LUNA is one of the most successful KPOP Idol band known for their good looks and quality music. Things start going wrong when Tue leader of the band suffer from sleepwalking, to counter which the members have to live with an in-house psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is basically fake, who is forced to pretend like a doctor due to her financial situations. The story is all about the fake doc helping the 5 of them to overcome their hurdles accompanied by a developing love story alongside.

The acting department is pretty average, full of young actors and plenty of rookies. In Yoon Joo/Kang Sun Ju (Jung In Sun) isn't highly ambitious but aims to save a fortune and purchase back the house she lived in her as a child. Yoon Tae In (Lee Jun Young) is the lead vocalist and the leader of LUNA with horrible childhood experiences, that has led him to having sleeping disorders. Not gonna mention rest of the major characters but I must say the casting was fair.

Plot development is steady and moderately up to par. The story starts with addressing thw issues lying with LUNA and it's public image as well as the FL and her life. It mainly focuses on the ML's healing process with the FL's help. In constantly provides the audience with fluffy romcom elements along with emotional scenes. Idol life issues is equally emphasized by putting the individual members of thd group on the pedestal at different times. There is nothing much to talk about the progression, ngl. The ending was smooth and satisfactory.

I honestly never knew the makers of this drama and guessing from their biographies, this is their debut. Regardless, the director didn't have much to do given the storyline, expect for screen editing, organization and cinematography, which I think have been well taken care of. I wonder what was the need of 4 screenwriters for such a story, but well (haha). What I didn't like about the writing is the soddy character arcs; wasn't really expecting anything but it seemed very bland.

The set of OSTs are well composed. They aren't really memorable in comparison to the vast sea of songs but I like how it was mostly relatable to the story and it's essence. The theme song having the same title as the drama "Let Me Be Your Knight" is my most favourite. It's soulfully versed, beautifully composed and exquisitely sung. Other songs by the imaginary group LUNA are: "Love Paranoia" , "Beautiful Breakup" and "Love One Day". I liked all 4 of these. OSTs sung by non-cast are.

"Dreamin'" by Seo Eun Kwang (BTOB)
"You are my soul" by Monday Kiz
"Because it's you" by Kim Woojin
"Rainbow" by Celine
"Sunshine" by SUNNY

What I liked...

# The OSTs are the best thing about this drama. The entire album is so good I swear; this was the only thing I expected from and I'm glad it's been delivered.

# The way they have addressed and presented almost all of the major South Korean idol issues is thought provoking. Idol dating issues, absurd rumors, career insecurities, competition within a group, struggles in the showbiz, etc are the areas they've covered. Just disappointed that one of the issues wasn't solved how i wanted.

# I am happy it wasn't much focused either on 2-3 characters or on the romantic storyline. Other members of LUNA have a fair share of screentime unlike other Idol dramas.

# The slice-of-life references put forward were heart-touching and emotional.

Well, it is a decent thing in my opinion which can be used to pass time. Irrespective of a story full of cliché, this has the least drawbacks to be pointed out. It's an example of typical story but well executed category. This is entirely no-brainer and very predictable and not really something to look forward to,so I would have given less but the fact that I found the least numbers of technical flaws, encouraged me to be kinder, haha. I can't say it's a must watch but if you're craving old romcoms and looking for something new & light-hearted, then here you go.

P. S. In a final confession, I wanan mention that this is better than "Imitation" in the perspective of an Idol drama. I don't wanna compare "Idol: The Coup" bcs it too was better than Imitation. In fact, the former was about a script and the latter was about idol issues, whereas, "Let Me Be Your Knight" is a perfect balance between both.

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I'm more into K dramas than K movies and it's really hard for me to find something that will leave me with an everlasting impression. Movie industry in general to me has lost its touch long time ago so when I watch something like "A Man and A Woman" with all the "feels" that this movie has given me I was so filled with joy like a child who found his lost beloved toy.

This is a movie for those who love character driven stories because it is pretty much all about the "man and woman"'s feelings and how they react to them despite their real life and responsibilities towards their beloved ones. Don't get me wrong the story isn't original, nothing new about it but the way it delivered the "feels" is top notch classic. I felt like watching a movie from the 70s and 80s I really wholeheartedly enjoyed every bits and every second of this beautiful full of feelings story.

Acting: It is not surprising that Gong Yoo would steal my heart and make my heart beat like crazy with every gaze he gave to the woman he loves. This is has got to be one of his best performances! He didn't even had much to say in the movie there wasn't much dialog for him yet he was able to deliver such powerful intense feelings which isn't really new for Gong Yoo he has done it before and he EXCELS in it. Jeon Do-Yeon was perfect she delivered those complicated "silent" emotions in such a good way I was so happy she was GY's partner in this movie (excellent casting choice). As I said "A Man and A Woman" doesn't really have new story there is nothing new here or mind blowing but GY and JDY brought this normal overused story into life and made their characters so real with intense emotions even though they didn't have much dialog. I felt their stares, i felt their gazes, i felt their strong desire for one another, i felt their longing... I swear I almost felt "there has to be something going on between those two in real life howw else can they deliver all that silent intensity just by looking at each other". Thank you for this amazing wonderful performance.

This isn't a movie for everyone, you have to be a classic lover to appreciate this. If you are into the "feels" and "emotions" delivered, if you are into character and emotion driven movies then this movie is for you. If you are looking for happy fluffy romance, if you are looking for a romance where you can cheer on and can justify then this is not your movie. The reason I say this, is because I do believe many people here are low rating classic dramas which had the same feels to this movie so I realized it doesn't appeal to everyone. I've seen this one in the cinema and most of the audience were middle aged and older I guess I wasn't the only one who thinks this is classic one :)

Thank you for this beautiful movie.
Another thing I appreciated is all the whiteness (snow) in this movie even though it was for a short time but it gave me the chills because I remembered my most beloved drama Winter Sonata (not story wise only the sceneries).

Bonus:
Gong Yoo's interview regarding this movie
http://mydramalist.com/profile/Marooya/feeds/1GJQDXtb

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REFRESHING to your SOUL

With nothing great to watch at jan i found li xian and crystal in poster with latest update and then boom its breath of fresh air ,so relaxing, felt peaceful after some chaos in life
Plot is simple every day interaction of different people with different scars, experience,age in a unpopular tourist town inn. sounds simple but its the storytelling and cast that beautifully delivered such a great masterpiece, becoz every character is memorable not just ml,sml,fl nearly more than 10 characters life is beautifully portrayed and ml &fl relationship, chemistry is the best we may find those 2 on screen talking some random topics fascinating, story gave great life lessons and lastly OST is part of the story it's inseperable like if ost is fl and story is ml , RE-WATCH whenever you feel down,
I don't think i may another drama like in this year or next but hope im wrong 100%

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Pure Fluff

Story
If I had to describe this drama in a few words, I'd say it is a drama that is more on the cliché side but executes it so well, that even the more predictable things are just a joy to watch. I think most people would agree that what carries this story and journey is the impeccable chemistry of the Main Couple. Just for that, I think this show is worth a watch.
But further, than the absolute fluff and wholesomeness, what really made this drama memorable is that you don't hate any characters. Sure, at times there are the villains that of course you dislike but as far as I am concerned, every one of the key roles gets their redemption.
What I truly love about this kind of drama is when there are no misunderstandings. For someone like me, that is very sensitive towards angst and drama, I really enjoy it when I see a couple that trusts each other and goes through everything together.

OST
I have not a lot to say except that I fell in love with the Soundtrack. I downloaded the whole OST already and I have it stuck in my head all the time. It's just so fitting and cute and well, just plain good.

Should you watch it?
If you are like me, a sucker for fluffy and domestic romance with a little drama here and there that doesn't make you too anxious, you should give it a watch. If cliché and a few predictable plot lines aren't a turn off I genuinely think you will enjoy watching!

The rest of the review will contain spoilers:

What I didn't like:
- I was a bit disappointed that the second lead Du Lei was made very evil, if I may say so, in the last few episodes. I mean I get that he loves her but, please my dear, that's plain assault:( So I was happy that they cut him off from their friend group.
- The allergic to tears plot point could've been build on more. What I mean is that towards the end it was as if the writers forgot it existed. I first suspected that it would cause more of a drama but maybe that's just me.

What I liked:
- I said it earlier but, the MC chemistry is just off the charts. Amazing. One of my new comfort couples.
- I love when every character gets their happy ending. This show satisfied me.
- Dog
- The side couples weren't overwhelmingly great but I still rooted for all of them and loved their collective support and friendship.
- Another thing about the Main Couple, I love how they support each other and just have trust. Even though they fight sometimes it felt like they truly cared and that was what made this romance feel real.
- I can't pinpoint many other things right now but overall I just really looked forward each week to the new episodes. It is a nice show that I won't forget!

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To be honest, I had to do a lot of thinking regarding the rating I wanted to give this show. For even though there were numerous moments that I had loved, the few pesky one's did manage to thoroughly piss me off. So, it's only right that I elaborate on both.

The Lovable aspects of SG:

1) Comedy
This is the most hilarious K-drama I have ever watched. Period.
For it almost caused me a wonderful death by laughter. Now, I know you're thinking that I'm being over-dramatic by saying that, but I assure that I truly am not. One fine midnight, I was lying on my bed, devouring popcorn and happily watching Secret Garden and before you know, utter hilarity ensued between the main characters for the umpteenth of time. Now, I, a mere mortal tried but failed to keep some semblance of calm and so chortle after chortle helplessly spewed out of my mouth. In all this mess, the poor popcorn tried to waddle along my esophagus but my spasmodic movements halted its journey and suddenly, I choked.

And I kid you not, it was surely a full-on deadly choke. My lungs were burning, I couldn't breathe, eyes were flooding and dread had encompassed my heart in a tight fist. Now, a less motivated Koreaboo would have given up on life there and then but I persevered for the ending was still there to finish and hence, became a survivor.

Moral of the story: Secret Garden is a life hazard. Keep oxygen masks nearby.

2) Acting
At this point, Ha-Ji Won can dress up in one of those cringey Teletubbies costumes and go around screaming Friday by Rebecca Black in her Korean accent and I would still be a die-hard fan. I really don't know how she does it. There is always so much sincerity in her acting and she can control her facial expressions in such a way that all that the character is feeling is openly displayed on her features. It's simply captivating to watch her in action.

Hyun Bin- Ah, one of those beautiful creatures who communicate with their eyes. He has such soulful eyes that half of the time, I deluded myself into thinking that President Kim and I were having a telepathic conversation through the screen.

Bottom line: Both of the actors brought their best to the table and I simply couldn't get enough of them.

3) Romance
There is such genuine and honest romance in this drama. It's filled with swoon worthy, butterflies in your tummy- dirt in your mind sweet yet burning moments that you can't help but fangirl throughout. The characters have deep understanding with each other and their chemistry is tangible. Every K-drama watcher probably cried in gratitude because of the make out sessions because finally, they had witnessed a couple who didn't kiss like dead entrails of catfish. The love story is so believable and authentic, that it's a must to root for them.

Bottom Line: You can't get a better ship than President Kim and Gil Ra Im, so get sailing.

The Not So Lovable Aspects:
1) Episode 17 and 18
Basically everything I didn't like happened in these two episodes. Examples:

a) Over-Crying:
Now this is a drama where there was so much love and merriment throughout, so if they were going to make it sad, they needed to be very careful in order to give maximum impact but I'm sorry to say they failed big time. Aside from that one part where President Kim gives his shoes and watches to OSKA, literally every other emotional scene fell flat. SG went from 0 to 100 real quick and I was caught bewildered in the midst of it all. Everybody suddenly started crying like a baby and doing it over and over again. Sure, give me sobs once or twice and I'll sob with you, but give me sobs a hundred of times and I'll want to shove a sock in your mouth to shut you up.

It was a horrible feeling because due to the excessive sobbing and lack of emotional connection, I started to develop a mild annoyance towards both of my beloved main characters and was consequently upset because of that fact.

b) Rise of the cliches:
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against cliches. I firmly believe that if you yourself haven't used the idea then it isn't old. Some of my favorite film pieces are those where writers took an over-used plot, put their own spin on it and turned it into a unique masterpiece. SG's plot, while not something never-before seen was already pretty unique in itself. However, in these two episodes suddenly the cliches started piling up. It would've been okay if they were one at a time but bring them all in together and it's a hot mess.

The "I love you so I'll let you go" scene followed by that one jarring accident, followed by excessive crying, followed by the infamous coma, followed by the hero being the martyr, followed by some more crying, followed by amnesia and then finally a convenient plot device to make everything dandy and sunshine. Please no.

2) Im Jong Soo:
My God, I have wanted to repeatedly slap this dude in the face. I mean I get that he was just there as man candy, ready to flaunt his English speaking skills when ordered, portraying a supposedly cool love interest for Gil Ra Im but like, did they really have to cast someone who couldn't act to save his life? It's so painfully obvious that he's a model and not an actor because he literally posed and bullshitted his way through the show. Plus, he just had one of those faces that can annoy you with a mere glance.

One of the more interesting characters was Joo Won's mother. She's probably the worst mom in K-drama history; extremely cruel and selfish. The actress who played her did an excellent job and I loved how much she made me hate the character. No joke, I wanted to grind her into mince meat, barbecue over a scorching grill and then feed her to rodents.

The supporting characters brought their fair share of fun. OSKA, Yoon Seul, Secretary Kim, Secretary park, Han Tae Seon and Gil Ra Im's action school sunbaes were all simply hilarious. Even though I was more interested in the side character's interactions with the main leads instead of their own stories, I didn't think that the drama dragged on more than was necessary.

So yes, there were some downs that came with SG but the ups more than made up for them. This is a sweet and beautiful story and I recommend it as a refreshing dessert to some spicy and tragic tearjerker of a drama.

Enjoy!

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it was a fun ride (need season 2 and a real uncut version :P)

Overall: I enjoyed this series, though I watched most scenes at a faster speed. 13 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on iQIYI uncut & YouTube cut which reduced NSFW scenes. Later re-aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40691c-pit-babe-the-series. Later aired on Netflix https://www.netflix.com/search?q=bl&jbv=82761763 Note: this was based on an omegaverse novel which I read but reviewed the series on its own.

Content Warnings: murders, sexual assault, blood, kidnapping, parental abuse, punch/slap, beaten up, stalking, manipulation, stalking, non con recording/sharing, violence, child trafficking

What I Liked
- supportive friends
- sweet moments
- Jeff & Alan
- excellent truth about how family isn't always the best
- pretty good NSFW scenes
- visuals

Room For Improvement
- quite a few characters were introduced at once and it took awhile to figure out who was who, there ended up being too many characters and not enough time to fully develop the relationships
- I realized they wanted mystery but it made it difficult to really support the Charlie/Babe relationship and the fact that they changed that plan from Jeff's idea to Charlie's was a mistake
- total nonsense/huge plot holes, many characters shared 1 brain cell
- cliche ghosting trope, Babe also shoved Charlie a bit too much/frequently
- the NSFW needed to be a longer (even in the uncut version) and were choppy at times
- cartoonish villains (and stupid)
- I wish they had either leaned into the omegaverse and explained it more or just omitted it entirely
- not sure how I feel about a certain character's redemption arc

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That Summer the Waves Brought Them Together

'That Summer', first things first, I really love the title. There's something about summer- it's fleeting, short-lived, but maybe that's what makes it all the more beautiful and of course, hotter too. A love named after that season, just like the season itself, feels like an escapade, you know a little world apart where everything is more intense, more emotional, and more unforgettable. And this series is really good- execution wise as well as plot wise.

Davin, a prince who loses his memory after an accident, ends up being saved by Lava, a rebellious kid sent to live with his uncle for three months as a punishment. And that's where everything begins. Lava names the stranger "Wave" because, as he says, "The waves brought you to me." and their story quickly becomes a mix of bickering, teasing, and unexpectedly tender moments in between. Lava is a total tsundere- sharp, sarcastic, but secretly soft- and Wave, even without his memories, still has his princely charm and playful sass. And he is so damn cute. Like even when he is glaring at Lava, all I could see was cuteness. Their bickerings were hilarious but when they actually care for each other, it was genuinely heart melting. And after Wave and Lava finally acknowledge their feelings for each other, the story just gets sweeter and more layered. Their relationship blossoms from playful teasing into genuine intimacy, both emotionally and, at times, physically, but always in that heart-melting way. The cute bickering doesn't disappear- it just transforms into a comfortable, teasing language that only they share. Also, I absolutely loved the coming out scene of Prince Davin.

The side story with Lava's uncle Pheng and his doctor boyfriend Wut is sweet yet layered with it's own complexities. Wut's desire to live openly- no longer hiding who they are or what they mean to each other clashes gently with Pheng's hesitation and need for privacy. Still, instead of pushing, Wut chooses understanding Their relationship is filled with quiet but meaningful gestures. Their journey from hiding to being official was really worth watching.

Other side characters also add depth and fun. Tum, the wannabe influencer, is hilariously entertaining, and his interactions with Kratae, the kind nurse, creates a fun bickering dynamic. Also, the setting is gorgeous, the vibes are nostalgic, and the whole story just in a way sticks with you, at least it did with me. Recommended!!!

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What I liked:

The acting was good enough to keep me watching.
The second leads were the sole reason I stuck with this drama till the end. (Even the reason I started watching.)
Dong Hua and Feng Jiu saved the second part of the drama so much, like ugh I lived for the cute interactions. It reach the point that whenever they were on screen, was the only moment I would enjoy the drama.
First and third lives were really good. I started to care about the leads in the third part of the drama, (Mind you I shipped Bai Qian with Mo Yuan before).
Even thought I always stayed away from fantasy cdramas, this one made me think that the action scenes were for the most part quite exciting. It would be sometime until I watch a fantasy cdrama without cringing, but still a great start for me.

What I didn't like:

OMG the second life was terrible. Like Jesus Christ, talk to each other. Things started to go south for me, when Ye Hua decided to keep lying to her after SuSu assured him that no matter what kind of a creature he was, she'll still love him. I could've taken this more easily if there was a genuine reason for the lies. But no, this was all about him wanting to shield her for everything, even of himself.
SuSu was always in the dark, Ye Hua would even abandon her for long periods of time and guess what? Never did he explain shit.
When she landed in the Celestial tribe, he never bothered to explain to her that she needed to be careful with this guy or that one. He was like "Yeah, don't talk to anyone, don't say a word". Like, dude, Who would believe that every person in that effing tribe has ill intentions? Su Jin was so "gentle" with her, of course SuSu wouldn't think otherwise.
When he took her eyes I was done with him, I had to restrain myself to not drop this. I felt glad, when she "killed" herself.
I get that SuSu lost her memory... but Did you all needed to make her that stupid? She went from mischievous kid to Mary Sue so fast, that I couldn't swallow it.
SuSu never went to talk to Ye Hua about the thing that she was mad about, or to clarify the misunderstandings. No couple can last like that. One hiding things and the other keeping quiet about her pain. It's this the couple of the century? Sadly, Bai Qian does this again when she gets her memory back. never letting Ye Hua said his part of the story, and shuttting down everything. Wich made me more mad, because now she knew how evil Su Jin was, all the plotting she did against her. So Why would she still prefer to care only about what she heard of Su Jin' side?

What could have been better:

The CGI, for starters. LOTS of CGI, I wished they would have used more natural locations instead of this huge amount of green screens.
Sometimes there would be issues with the background. Like that time when the hand of the God of Star suddenly disappeared, when Ye Hua was walking and the castle background suddenly changed. Oh, and how to forget that one time the King of the Sea Tribe (don't remeber clearly), passed through a column.
The would use the same 3 or 4 places to film over and over. They used the cave for the Fox clan, for the Kunlun Mountain, The dungeon of the 4 beast, etc. Same with the palace. All of these things really took me out of the drama.
Apart from Male and female leads, everyone used almost the same clothes in all the drama. All day, every day.

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Well, didn't see this one coming.
I had just finished my first drama with So Ji Sub (Master's Sun) and was searching for another one of the same genre with him starring as well. Came across this one, and although an action/serious drama was everything I didn't want, I still gave it a try because, well, it's So Ji Sub. And, oh, thank God I did.

The story developed perfectly along the 20 episodes, although in my opinion there are way too many flashbacks and a few fillers. I loved how the flashbacks were displayed and how the quality was pretty different from the present time action.
I don't have many things to point out except I still have my doubts concerning some hidden cameras displayed in questionable flashbacks. Other than that, this drama got all my attention and was the best company for the last days of my holidays.

I had seen Ghost's poster before, but it never got my curiousity because it had Lee Yeon Hee and, well, I really don't like her acting from what I've seen of her. This drama didn't convince me otherwise. She's too... 1 dimensional. In my opinion (although I'm no acting expert at all), she still has a long way to go.
On the other hand, there's So Ji Sub and his eternal amused look with his sympathetic frown (it does make sense if you know what I'm talking about). Since I'm considerably new to So Ji Sub and thus I don't know him exactly well, I have to recognize he did a great job, but there's another actor that took the spotlight. Absolutely loved Kwak Do Won's acting. I saw him on Good Doctor, but his acting there is far from as good as it is in Ghost. He perfectly portrayed the frustrated and mad detective. I must agree with the awards given to the main cast. So, although I feel like taking a point off the acting, I think of both So Ji Sub and Kwak Do Won and I just can't. Lee Yeon Hee, I want to see more of your expressions. Being a pretty face isn't everything...

I took extra attention to the music ever since Phantom of the Opera's theme started playing out of nowhere. It caught me by surprise and it did scare my at first, but then whenever it played again I would just laugh. But that music isn't everything. Overall, the OST was pretty good. 10 points for P.O's sudden "Burn burn out out" at the end of one of the first episodes.

This drama exceeded all my expectations. Lately I've been into a melodrama, 16-episodes drama mood but this actually changed and surprised me. I recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of action, police-related series and really handsome boys. (y)

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I went into Prime Minister and I expecting it to be like the Sound of Music of contract-marriage dramas: a young, chirpy woman enters the lives of a distant single father and his lonely children, bringing them closer as a family and redefining their home. I'm a sucker for such stories, and the first few episodes that zipped by for me fulfilled my expectations of a fluffy and fun watch.

To my surprise, as the story progressed, I found the drama raising interesting questions about finding love after death, about whether simply marrying into a family makes you a part of the family. Bringing these issues to the surface drew me further into the story, as did the growing love between Prime Minister Kwon and Nam Da-jeong. Seeing them display their love through little acts of caring before they even realized the true source of their actions, how their actions stemmed from love, really warmed my heart right up.

However, all of this was abandoned in favor of contrived angst. I don't mind angst in a drama if it's well-crafted and makes sense. Prime Minister and I's angst was neither, resulting in me wanting to slap a few tear-stained faces that appeared on my screen. Wanting to strangle your heroine is not a good sign. Add to that a political plotline that I'm pretty sure was added only to show that the Prime Minister has duties other than shuffling paper around his desk, and you have the elements that sucked the joy out of what should have been a breezy viewing experience.

(Speaking of sucking out the joy of something, what the heck happened to Yoon Shi Yoon in this drama? In every scene, he looked as if someone was kicking puppies off screen. He looked happier when he was filming an actual makjang than he looks here!)

Perhaps if this drama had done a better job of mixing in the heartwarming with the angst, I would have rated this higher. As it stands, Prime Minister and I became for me an unnecessary roller-coaster of cliches and forced emotions that ultimately left me not caring at all.

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Burden of Proof

Drama has been presented in a unique 'two' connected episodes format, alternating between past timeline(odd number episodes) and present timeline (even number episodes)..... As the episodes progress, viewers get a clear picture of the events in past that catapulted events in the present.... Each character is seamlessly woven in the tapestry of story, making it cohesive and interesting.... All characters' motivation is presented through their background stories leading to their present involvement.... In episode 19, even Wu Lian's past is dwelled into...Why he developed an interest in embroidery, although it is an unpopular choice of profession for a male........... However his past did not give even a remotely plausible explanation for his proclivity.


(Seven years ago - past timeline)

Meng Wan(Janice Wu) and Lin RuLan( Hu Yi Xuan) two young girls with dreams of bright future enroll in Yanyu Tower to learn embroidery from the prestigious Wu Lian(Qiao Zhen Yu)


Wu Lian turns out to be a predator, preying on young girls of his academy. He is a sadist and a narcissistic, his modus operandi remains the same for all girls, he first humiliates them by criticising their embroidery, making them feel inadequate and then under the pretext of guiding and teaching them, he touches them inappropriately and ultimately forcibly sleeps with them. These young impressionable girls who are probably underage are meek and gullible so none dare confront him publicly. He continues to take advantage and abuses numerous young girls. Wu Lian is a powerful individual who happens to have solid backing of rich and influential Mrs. Ning. Wu Lian's embroidered pieces are sought after and even the royal family commissions him. Hence nobody dares to offend him.

After sudden and mysterious death of Ding Ru, a young girl from Yanyu Tower. Wu Lian's truth is exposed in front of Ru Lan. She herself had been a victim but believed that Wu Lian loved her, now she realises that not just her but he has bespoiled countless other young women. Ru Lan decides to fight against him and lodges a formal complain in Yamen office. Meng Wan her close confidant and fellow victim advices Ru Lan not to file such a case.

Ru Lan who strongly believes that justice prevails, goes ahead with her formal allegations, to her disappointment she realises Wu Lian manages to distort her truth in the court and she lacks sufficient evidence to incriminate him.........As a recourse to sleeping with her, Wu Lian offers to take her as his concubine......After all doors are closed to RuLan, she decides to make a final move and agrees to marry Wu Lian as a part of her plan to fabricate evidence against Wu Lian.

On her wedding day she forcibly holds Wu Lian's hand and stabs herself with a golden pin leaving the bloody pin in Wu Lian's hand as proof of her murder, she also leaves a note to be delivered to Shen Mu after her wedding saying that she is in danger enabling two constables including Shen Mu to arrive at the exact moment she falls down from the tower to her death...... However her ultimate gamble also doesn't pay off, Wu Lian goes scott free inspite of such incriminating evidence and witnesses.



(Seven years later - present timeline)

Meng Wan who is very close to RuLan plots and plans for seven years to take vengeance and expose Wu Lian's deeds. She meticulously plans everything and patiently waits for Wu Lain to fall into her trap like a spider 🕷 weaving a web 🕸 to catch insects.

Including herself, Meng Wan gathers seven other people who were somehow affected by Ru Lan's case. She forms a team that is instrumental in bringing Wu Lian's downfall....

Meng Wan prepares handwoven lanterns and hangs them in a circle, metaphorically these lanterns hung in a circle are compared to a trap closing around Wu Lian... Each Lantern has a unique line written for all NINE people involved in this crusade, Ru Lan the torch bearer followed by Meng Wan and other seven allies....Meng Wan says that each lantern is wrapped in soft paper but tough and unyielding inside like 'the women'.


Name of all nine righteous 'justice seekers' and lines written on their lanterns mentioned below:

1.Lin Ru Lan's lantern....."An adult girl is fearless. "

2.Meng Wan's lantern....."wait in the boudoir for seven years, nothing is forgotten. " ........."Seven years in seclusion. Aspiration never forgotten. "

3.Li Jia Hang's lantern....."Give a treasure hairpin to the hero. Ignite a candle light. "

4. Liu Sanniang's lantern....."A leaf in the vast ocean, floating and sinking between heaven and earth. "

5. Shen Mu's lantern....."The young man goes with the wind and returns in time. "

6.Feng Da' lantern......"The wilderness also has emotions. "

7.Haung Jiao Jiao's lantern... "Pray to silk worm mother at the door, worship the God of wealth inside. "

8. Li Chun Feng's lantern... "The path to being an official is unpredictable as debts are hard to pay. "

9.Tian Xiao ling's lantern... "Troubled by wordly affairs, seeking tranquility in the mountains. "


Meng Wan's plan involves targeting Wu Lian's wealth. Symbolically breaking 'two legs' on which he is standing as he is accumulating wealth from two sources......First, by smuggling his work abroad, evading taxes with the help of Lou Yu Jian, a corrupt official in charge of Foreign office......Second, Mrs. Ning's backing who presents his work in royal court garnering him fame and building his reputation.... Meng Wan plans to expose him in front of the public to restore RuLan's good name.... She has brought to her district an upright and unbiased, Lou Ming Zhang to investigate the case of RuLan........Road to seek justice is difficult and full of pitfalls, Meng Wan faces many set backs along the way but she perseveres.....

After several failed attempts to corner Wu Lain, the group finally find some physical evidence...... In the beginning episodes Wu Lian told RuLan that ALL plum blossom flowers are different and unique(implying all girls are different)...... No wonder he had embroidered plum blossoms on a branch of a tree and written name of each of his victims under the flower embroidery...... It is rightly said that each crime leaves some evidence and a serial rapist would keep some kind of a trophy......This embroidered plum blossom tapestry was stolen by Li Cheng Feng without knowing its true significance, it proved to be a goldmine of evidence for the group.....Meng Wan and the team then had to find one person from all those victims who would testify against Wu Lian to reopen the case.

Liu Sanniang was captured by Wu Lian when she went to gather intel regarding his embroidery convention.. Wu Lian wanted an official position so that if he was implicated again, his case would be tried at a higher court of Dali where cases were piled up, delaying in his trial....Meng Wan and the group wanted to foil his ambition as well as save Liu Sanniang, decide to attend his embroidery convention at Yanyu Tower... However the group were tricked by Wu Lian and ended up stealing the wrong key to a lock that tied Liu Sanniang to a pole in a room... They were unsuccessful in rescuing her, Liu Sanniang decided to sacrifice her life and urged the group to continue with their campaign... The group burned down Yanyu Tower and Liu Sanniang perished in fire.

Wu Lian urged his wife Mrs. Wu(Rong'er) to ask her family's help for him to acquire the official position that he hankered after, in return he promised her a divorce and freedom from her unhappy married life.... Rong'er's family agreed.... Meng Wan approached Rong'er for help, guilt ridden due to being a reluctant but willing accomplice of Wu Lian, she informs Meng Wan that she kept a secret accounts ledger of Wu Lain's expenses for abortion pills, doctors, bribery to officials etc.... Li Chun feng decides to steal that account book, he is cornered and beaten to death. Before succumbing to death he gives Meng wan and Liu Xin a letter for Tian Xiaoling.... Tian Xiaoling, another victim of Wu Lian, had been living a guilt ridden life of self imposed exile finally decides to step up and testify against Wu Lian after her beloved Li Chun feng's death.

Meng Wan, Ru Lan's brother and Tian Xiaoling petition for a retrial of Ru Lan's case... Due to Meng Wan's clever manoeuvre, His Majesty also gives an order for severe punishment to be delivered to Wu Lian... Wu Lian is found guilt of sexual assault, bribery, tax evasion....As a result of everyone's combined efforts, Wu Lian gets his 'just deserts' he is flogged heavily as punishment and would be forever banished.... In jail Wu Lian swallows a needle and commits suicide.

At last justice is served but a hefty price is paid.... Ending is more bitter than sweet but it leaves a satisfactory aftertaste.... Justice may be delayed but not denied......salute to the people who make sacrifices and pave the way for a better future.




Special Episode 25 (alternate reality- what if, These characters could restart their lives )

What if life gave these characters a reset button and they could restart their lives anew......Life is full of choices that define us, our lives are the sum total of all our decisions... One wrong turn can plummet our life to hell and another right turn can elevate it..... This episode is in NO way "Redemption" of any character but a reflection of what ifs?...... I hope all these characters in some alternate universe made a befitting choice and enjoyed a lifetime of happiness.


All the actors performed wonderfully and were appropriately cast... However, a special shout out to Qiao Zhen Yu (who played the character of Wu Lian). He played the part of Wu Lian to such perfection that he became a character that the audience would love to hate. I saw a few BTS and the actor, Qiao Zhen Yu was rehearsing a very serious scene with his fellow actress, he seemed very cooperative and helpful... It is a great feat for an actor to play the character of a villan with such distinction.



This series deals with very sensitive issues like:

1.Abuse by a person in authoritative position. In this series Wu Lian was a teacher abusing underage girls, entrusted by their parents to learn embroidery at his place....

2.Exploitation of women(men) in the workplace.... 'Me too' movement..... Victims of such abuse remain silent as they are scared that either nobody will believe their allegation or mud will be slung on their character.

3.Humiliation and harrasment faced by a woman in the hands of corrupt official while proving she was 'Raped' .........The burden of proof is on the victim's shoulder.

4. Powerful and rich people bending, twisting and breaking laws and getting away with it... Justice system works differently for influential people, through intimidation or bribery they often escape unscathed.

5.Flickle public opinion 'mob mentality'..... People are often quick to judge another person bestowing 'guilty verdict' based on rumours without waiting for actual proof... public opinion spreads like wildfire and is quite changeable from time to time, even a person held in high regard once is dragged through mud by a single 'deemed' slip.


Overall, a thought provoking story presented beautifully.


PS: I wanted to include some more details but did not want to turn this review into a book😝 so I am writing them as comments to this review... If anyone is as deeply moved by this drama as me and wishes to read more, they can read the comments below.

*comments are about Liu San Niang and Li Chun Feng's deaths..... RIP to both unsung heroes.

*My opinion regarding the author's choice for characters of Li Chun Feng (episode 22) and Liu Sanniang (episode 20)

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